From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

View over the Kooser Wiesen ("Koos meadows", on the
mainland) towards Koos (marked by the group of trees in the
center). The yellow sign showing an owl indicates the area's status
as a protected nature reserve.

Koos is the largest of several small islands in
the Bay of
Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It has an area of 772
hectar and
a maximum elevation of just above three meters.[1] The
island is a largely uninhabited natural reserve with restricted
access.[2][3] It
is separated from the mainland by Kooser Bucht and
Kooser See, two bays connected by a tiny strait,
Beek.[1]

In 1241, Barnuta, prince of
Rügen, granted Koos (then "Chosten") to Eldena abbey (then "Hilda"),[4] later
it became a possession of the Hanseatic town of Greifswald, located a few
kilometers southward. A medieval burgh has been suggested on the isle, but not
verified.[5] A 17th
century Dutch
settlement had disappeared in the 18th century. Koos is
administered not by the adjacent Ostvorpommern county, but by the nearby
town of Greifswald.[3]